They are are fairly available via amazon and the likes, except for "West of Zanzibar'. Russell's "Mahler" is rather expensive as it is oop on dvd, but can be found rather cheaply on vhs.'Comanche Station' was just released on a Boetticher box set, along with the equally worthwhile 'Ride Lonesome', and "The Tall T" and the lesser "Westbound" and "Buchanan Rides Alone". 'Seven Men from Now" is available separately and some say , the best of the Boetticher/ Scott films (I would leave that for Station, which I would rank with the best of the Ford westerns. Seven is not far behind it). Bowers has to be seen to be believed.

1. The Swimmer. Dir. Frank Perry. Starring Burt Lancaster.2. The Magic Christian. Dir. Joseph McGrath. Starring Peter Sellers and Ringo Starr.3. Mahler. Dir. Ken Russell, starring Robert Powell (the vastly underrated Russell's most personal film).4. Comanche Station. Dir. Budd Boetticher, starring Randolph Scott. The most sublime of Boetticher's chamber westerns. 5. West of Zanzibar. Dir. Todd Browning. Starring Lon Chaney. Right up there with 'The Unknown'. The fact that it's never been released in any format borders on criminal negligence.6. Oedipus Rex. Dir. Julie Taymor. Stravinsky's avant garde opera made even more stylish and bizarre. If people saw more contemporary, highly original, cutting edge productions like this, then the idea of opera being solely for overweight, pretentious conservatives who only like 300 year old music would become extinct (as opposed to the art form becoming extinct, which it surely is).7. The Charlie Bowers collection. Andre Breton and Bunuel loved this highly original, sadly forgotten surrealist. Unfortunately, Bowers did not have the personality of Chaplin or Keaton but was more innovative than all of the silent clowns. He mixed animation and live action. He usually played an inventor and his inventions range from an unbreakable egg (which eventually hatches Model T Fords) to the no slip banana skin (and don't forget the metal eating bird).8. Maya Deren: Experimental Films. "Meshes of the afternoon" and "At Land" are two of the most intoxicating, almost impossible to describe films I've ever seen. The short lived Deren once bragged that she made films for what Hollywood spent on a box of tissues.9.The films of Daina Krumins. Only available from Canyon Cinema, Krumins has only made three films. Both "The Divine Miracle" and 'Babobilicons' have rightly become legendary in surrealist appreciation circles.10. Georges Melies; First Wizard of Cinema. Cinema before the rules were set of what does and what does not constitute 'film'.

Your tastes match with mine, Mr. Surrealism. Several of those are on my list to track down. The only one I've seen is THE MAGIC CHRISTIAN, which I found disappointing but worthwhile. (I prefer the novel). And the Melies films, though I've never seen that particular collection.

Okay, here's some little known (some hard to find) gems I thought were worth watching...

Nick of Time (with Johnny Depp)The Children of HeavenMillions (the Danny Boyle film, not the one with Billy Zane)Who Would Kill A Child?Death SentenceBrickDormRan (considered a classic, but many probably haven't seen it)Twelve and HoldingThe Orphanage

3 Not lesser known, but certainly underrated, as far as the general populace and some critics go...

1. A.I.: Possibly the most visionary, sublime film of the last ten years. There's a lot of hoopla about the 'flawed' ending being Spielberg's, rather than Kubrick's. Nonsense. Or, that the ending is Spielberg's lame attempt to put his own smiley face on it. Again, nonsense. It's a downer ending, with the unwanted stepchild child totally oblivious to impending death and there's something a bit Oedipal going on. Jude Law deserved all the accolades he received and should have received far more. This film was Spielberg's road back to being a great artist and Kubrick's soul fills ever second. Trust the opinion of no one who disses on this film.

2. Kurbrick's "Eyes Wide Shut". His last, glorious obsession with Ludwig,and this time it's Fidelio. Like all of Kubrick, it's stature will only grow in time. Repeated viewing are essential.

3. Bill Condon's Gods and Monsters. Tim Burton's Ed Wood eventually found a well deserved cult audience. The 'gayness' here still freaks enough people out to keep it languishing in half obscurity. Too bad too, because all involved give their best, including Frasier who proves he really can act. Redgrave is lovably delightful as well. A perfect homage to the father of Frankenstein.

8. Maya Deren: Experimental Films. "Meshes of the afternoon" and "At Land" are two of the most intoxicating, almost impossible to describe films I've ever seen. The short lived Deren once bragged that she made films for what Hollywood spent on a box of tissues.

I've seen Meshes of the Afternoon and it was an abomination (except for the slo-mo running-up-the-stairs shot)! I can't voice an opinion on any other work of hers, though.

1. Dark Waters (plural, not the japanese film or its lousy remake). This, along with Cemetary man, is one of the last great italian horror films. Look for the Mariano Baino approved re-release, avoid the "Dead Waters" release like the plague. The picture and sound are a million times better in the case of the former. Recommended to fans of italian horror and/or fans of Lovecraft's work (knowing Lovecraft may give you a better understanding of whats going on).

2. Inferno. Not one of Argento's best, but highly underrated, in my opinion. Just understand that its a nighmare, it operates on dream logic, and isnt intended to make any normal sense.

3. Neo Ned. An indie film I caught a few weeks back. Granted, the premise sounds like something from Troma - a skinhead in a mental ward falls in love with a black woman who channels adolf hitler - but its actually a really decent film, and didnt really go in the direction I was expecting it to (incidentally, speaking of Troma, I shook hands with Lloyd Kaufman earlier today at monstermania).

4. Happiness of the Katakuris. A Zombie Horror Family Musical directed by Takashi Miike. Nuff said.

« Last Edit: March 14, 2009, 07:20:29 PM by Fausto »

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